Test-connector.



P. R. PARKER.

, TEST GONNEOTOR.

' APPLIGATION FILED nomao, 190s. nnnnwnn no. so. 1913.

1, 1 22,028, Patented Dee. 22, 1914 WITNESSES: INVENTOR! FREDERICK R. PARKER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TEST-CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22,1914.

Application filed November 30, 1906, Serial No. 345,788. Renewed December 30, 1913. Serial N o. 809,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK R. PAnnnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Test-Connector, of which the following is a specification, 'refe'l'ence being had to the. accompanying drawings, illustrating same.

My invention relates in general to, devices for clamping wlres, strands or conductors therein, the form herein specifically olescribed being more particularly adapted to i one or more wires may be loosened and removed therefrom while another wire (or wires) remains clamped in the connector; and to provide compactness and simplicity of construction in such a device.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In such devices, usually termed test connectors, used on telephone, telegraph or other lines, to clamp two wires in conductive relation with each other, it has been necessary heretofore to loosen both of the llvires in the'con'hector when it was desired to remove only one therefrom. This causes great inconvenience in the use of suc de- -V1CBS, principall due to having to handle thevarious er s and to. the fact that the lineniah soo ten drops the connector to the ground from a pole and is compelled to climb. down the pole to get it. To avoid dropping it he generally has to remove one wire therefrom and then tighten the connectorfonto the other, ,WIIG, or remove t from bothwires and put it into his pocket while testing the line. Also, with such connecto'rsit is necessary to hold both wires and the connector, while adjusting both Wires simultaneously in'theconnector, and at the same time tighten the bolts and nuts v to clamp the wires in place, all of which is very hard for pne man to do.

My. present invention provides a connector from which one wire may be removed while the other wire of the two is held clamped tightly therein, thus doing away with the inconveniences above mentioned. Also, in my connector, it is only necessary to hold and clamp one Wire at a time in the connector, which can be readily done. The advantages of such a connector can be readily seen.

In the accompanying drawings, illustratingthe preferred forms of my invention,-

Figure l is a plan view of a two-bolt con nector, with a pair of wires clamped therein; Fig. 2 is an end View of Fig. 1, wlth the wires removed therefrom; Flg. 3 is an 'end view of a connector constructed to accommodate and clamp four wires therein;

and Fig. 4: is an end view of a modified form of the connector shown in Fig. 2.

Like characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

In Figs. 1 and 2, l is a plate, preferably made of copper, through which bolts 2 2 are threaded as shown at 16. The plate 1 is preferably provided with V-shaped grooves 3 3 thereacross near one edge there-- -of. Plates 4 4, preferably formed out of sheet copper, are placed loosely upon bolts 2 2, on opposite sides of plate 1, each plate 4 being provided with a V-shaped groove 7 thereacross to register with a groove 3 in plate 1. Nuts 5 5 are threaded onto one end of bolts 2 2 to hold one plate 4 in place, and nuts 6 6' are threaded onto the other ends of bolts 2 2 to hold the other plate 4 in place. Each plate 4 is preferably provided with a turned edge 8 adapted to bear against plate 1. a a

When the connector is placed in service, wire 9 is placed in one pair of grooves 3 and 7, and nuts 5 5 are screwed down to clamp wire 9 in place between plate 1 and a plate 4'.- Then the other wire 10 is placed in the other pair of grooves 3 and 7, and nuts ,6 6 are screwed down to clamp Wire 10 in place between plate 1 and the other plate 4.

When itisdesired to remove one ofthe wires 9 or 10 from. the connector, one pair of nuts 5 5, or 6 6, is loosened and thecorresponding wire removed, the other wire remaining tightly clamped in the connector, "due: to'the bolts 2- 2 being threaded through themiddle plate l. It will be readily seen that it is immaterial which one of the wires ,9 ,or '10 is removed. It will also be understood that both of the wires 9 and 10 may be removed if desired, by loosening mziyf be' of different sizes. n

Fig; 3 the middle plate 11 is provided with four V-shaped grooves and the outer three wires are used, either one or two may" plates 12 12 each with two grooves, for clamping four wires in the connector. With this construction two of the four wires may be removed and the.othe'r two held tightly clamped. If it is desired, only three wires maybe clamped in the connector, the remammg space being left vacant. ".When

be removed at one time.

I to fill the remaining two spaces" for 'the wires. This gives a bearing surface for'ea'chi wire double that provided nectors now 1n use.

In Fig. 4 the bolts 2. 2- areeach provided with a central nut 13 l)laced within, a-

springy piece of sheet met 14 formed pref erably "as shown. Outside of-the port on- 14 is placed another sprmgy piece of sheet; 'metal 15 formed preferably. as

shown.

-When the nuts 5 5 and 6 6 are screwed down, the wires are clamped between the free ends of the portions 14 and 15 much. the same as -in Fig. 2. 'Ijhe nuts 5 5- and 6. 6 may be wing nuts if des red. One; pair ofnuts 5 5 or 6 6 for each bolt 2 may alsobe replaced by a head on the bolt;

' ironmay be used for these v of various sizes.

If desired, the connectors may be made with but one bolt 2 instead of two.

All of the clamping or jaw portions may be made of any suitable material. For copper Wire I'pr'eferablyuse copper, and for ironwire Ipreferably use co per electrogalvan'ized. Brass, bronze, a uminum or parts for various conditions andrequirements.

It' will be readilvseen that the several wires to be. clamped in a connector may be If desired, seach .boltfi may be perinanently secured tothe middle plate 1 or 11, or made in onepiece therewith. I I

*- particular details of construction as illus-' trated, nor -to the materials specified, as w many modifications may be made therein (without departing "from; the scope of the .I do not wish to limit thisinvention to the appended claims.

I ent wire clamps. It will be readily seen that only two wiresmay be clamped in the connector of :Fi 3,

and, if desired, their ends may be bent lack in other test con-'- 1 3..Aiconnector of the character set forth subscribe my name this 26t day of Novemher, 1906.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by. Letters Patent is,-

' In a connector comprising, an intermediate member, ascrewmember extending therethrough, spring metal clamping plates mounted on the screw member on. opposite sides-'of the intermediate member, said cl'ampin platesbearing at one end on the interme iate member as a fulcrum, "and means on "the screw, member for engaging the clamping. lates near the other end, independently 0 each other to for'm independ- 7 2. A connector comprising an intermediate member, a screw memberjextending therethroug-h, clamping plates mounted on the screw member on'oppositesides of the intermediate member and bearing at one] edge on theintermediatemember as a'fful' cru m, andmeans"on-the screw member en-' gaging the clamping 'lates near the opposite edge independently 0 dependent clamps. 1

comprising an intermediate membe d m ing members on opposite sides thereof bear-r ing thereagainst near one edge only thereof, 3 and means for. forcing the said clamping memberstoward' the said intermediate mem-g ber independently of each other to form in 1 dependent clamps.

4. A connector of the character set forth.

. comprising an intermediate member','clam ing members on opposite sides thereof in I crumed near their edges, and means for forcing the said clamping members toward the said intermediate member independently of each otherto form independent clamps. 5. A connector of the character set forth comprising an inte'nnediate member, clamping portions on opposite sides of the said'intel-mediate member, said clumping portions being yieldably detained at ortions there of, and means for forcingtiie said clamp ing ortions toward the said intermediate 100 mem er 'inde endently of each other to form indepen ent clamps. As inventor f the fore oing I hereunto FREDERICK R. PARKER. v Witnesses:

' P. J. Pownns,

Roar. PARKER.

each other to form ini 

